Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Cranberry Streusel Coffeecake--made with mayonnaise





Yes, it's time for another recipe using mayonnaise in place of oil and eggs. Now that picnic season is upon us, the stores are featuring specials on mayonnaise, so it's a good time to pick up a jar just for baking, even if you never use it for anything else.

This recipe is adapted from one that I first made while still in high school, so you know it is very old. Using mayo instead of butter in the batter and omitting the egg resulted in cutting the overall cost of the coffeecake almost in half. I haven't been brave enough to use mayonnaise in the crumb topping--I think the flavor of the mayo might be a little too strong to use there--so there is still some butter included.

It is nice to have a recipe like this on those days when you have run out of eggs and still want to stir up a homemade bread for a special weekend breakfast or for when friends come over for coffee. It goes together quickly and could be a good one to make with kids who are just starting to want to help in the kitchen. The cake is quite dense, not too rich, and could be appropriate for vegans with the variation noted below.

If you've consulted my blog before (and I do hope you visit often!), you will notice that I have used dried milk powder, a staple in my kitchen. Why? There are several reasons.
  • If you read the instructions on the dried milk package, you will find that one third cup of the powder is the equivalent of a cup of milk, yet this recipe only needs one half cup of liquid. By using the powder, I can add extra protein and calcium.
  • If I were to heat the milk with the cranberries, there is very likely going to be a"boil over" in the microwave, and I really like to avoid that kind of mess.
If you don't have dried milk, you can either use just water (slightly less full flavored) or use milk and take your chances on the heating. OR, you could just skip the cranberry soak. However, this step softens the cranberries and helps make sure they stay well-mixed in the final batter.


Cranberry Streusel Coffeecake
½ c mayonnaise
½ c brown sugar
1/3 c nonfat dried milk powder
½ c water
½ c dried cranberries
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
2 t baking powder
½ t soda
½ t cinnamon
¼ t nutmeg

Crumb topping
¼ c butter, melted
½ c sugar
¼ c flour
½ c oatmeal
1 t cinnamon

1.  Heat cranberries in water in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes and set aside to cool.
2.  Combine mayo, brown sugar, milk powder, cranberries and water. Beat well.
3.  Sift the dry ingredients together and fold into the mayonnaise mixture. Stir just until evenly blended.
4.  Spread the batter into a well-oiled 8 inch square pan.
5.  Combine all crumb topping ingredients and spread over batter.
6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

 Variations:
  • Replace the cranberries with raisins (a mix of golden and regular raisins would be nice), dried cherries, or even chopped dried apricots.
  • Add 1/3 to 1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumb topping.
  • For a Vegan Coffeecake, omit the dried milk, use vegan mayonnaise, and a non-dairy margarine in place of the butter. 



 


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